Steel barrel plug wrench



June 3, 1947.

G. B. UMBDENSTOCK STEEL BARREL PLUG WRENCH Filed Sept. 1, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w W 5 I .MIIIW m June 3, 1947. G. B. UMBDENSTOCK STEEL BARREL PLUG WRENCH Filed Sept. 1, 1943 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R., m. m.

6 5/2 jaw, afiwxwz w. w

Patented June 3, 1947 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,421,665 STEEL BARREL PLUG WRENCH George B. Umbdenstock, Prairie View, 111. Application September 1, 1943, Serial No. 500,777

1 Claim. (cur-119) V 2 My invention relates to plug wrenches for steel Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view barrels and the like. on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the more or In such receptacles the plugs are of metal, are less pointed or tapered edge conformation of the externally threaded and screw into correspondend tang of the wrench; ingly internal threaded fittings which are fitted Fig. .3 is a cross-section, on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and secured to the sheet metal of the casks. of the wide tang on the opposite edge of the bar Such plugs vary in diameter and form. In of the wrench and showing the tapered edges of most, there are depressions in their outer faces the tang; to save material and weight in the case of cast Fig. 4 is a similar cross-sectional view, on the metal or similar plugs and to follow the contour line f g- 0 the tang at the Opposite of the outside of same in the case of pressed or end of the bar, showing the angular edge conformed sheet metal plugs. formation thereof; and 1 These depressions or recesses, varying in depth igs- 5 t0 4, nc us ve, show p ew of from one-fourth to three-fourths of an inch, are different threaded p u f Steel barrels, W also of various sizes and outlines, circular, square, cross-sections of the coope at ng ta fingers hexagonal, etc., and some have ribs, straight or or jaws of the wrench in engaging positions in curved, across the bottom, and others diametrior on the plugs. cally opposite lugs or projections extending in- Re rr g t th se d aw s in detail, the wardly from the side walls. In general, these wrenchcomprises a bar shank or handle i5, prefdepressions, with their sides, corners, ribs, angles, 0 e ably ofsteeland W ch in practice may be lugs, etc., and other shallow depressions in the inch in Width, inch in thickness and 15 inches faces of the flanges, are commonly used for the n length, a though, of course, any other suitable application of cold chisels and hammer blows dimensions may be employed.

thereto to loosen the plugs from their seats. T ar 15 h s a p rality f tangs, fingers or This is objectionable as being troublesome and 5 j ws C, nd D, preferably intetending to damage the plugs and barrels. gral therewith and projecting edgewise therefrom It is an object of my invention, therefore, to and in the same plane and arranged to cover provide a wrench of substantially universal app l y y design O p plication to remove and apply any type of plug Tangs A and D preferably have tapered end used in steel barrels and the like and thereby W l a Shown in FigS- 4 and a d a e Sim a producing a tool of great convenience and utility ept -M This yp of n is d p ed to and rendering unnecessary the use of hammer ove p y the yp of P having a cross and chisel for the purpose. bar. [6 extending across the circular recess I! A further object is the provision of a wrench lign he top of the circular plug I8. Or comprising a bar or shank having a plurality of it m e used, h plug as shown in Fig. 11, tangs of various sizes projecting therefrom and h n i ri ally Opposed lugs l9 projectin spaced and r lat d t bang-engaging d from the wall of the recess toward the center. operating surfaces on the variously designed n, i Figs- 5 and h t n A m y b barrel plugs, inserted diagonally across the square or rectan- Another object of the invention is the proviu a recess 20 i the t p p u 2| Or t e D sion, in a bar or spanner type of wrench, of a y be inserted in the top recess of p s 22 f plurality of tangs, fingers or jaws projecting from he apered e ges of tangs A and D the bar and having plug-engaging surfaces on readily fit into the corners of the recesses in the several faces thereof whereby the same may pl gs 2 and 22 of Figs. 5 and 9. as indicated. be variously engaged with the tang-engaging sur- Tangs B and B may be us d to r move pl faces of differently formed plugs, such engageof the type shown in Figs. 6, 10 and 14.

ments being singly or in pairs, on the inside or In Fig. 6, having the rib 23 extending across outside of adjacent or alternate tangs, won the the bottom of the circular recess 24 in the top sides thereof. of the plug, the tangs B and B straddle the rib. Further objects and advantages will appear The rib 23 is made of pressed sheet metal with from the detailed description and claim to follateral foot flanges which are riveted or spotlow, in connection with the accompanying drawwelded to the bottom of the recess. ings which illustrate an embodiment of my in- In the case of Fig. 10, the tangs B and B span vention and in whichthe space across the circular recess 21 in the top Figure 1 is a side view of the complete Wrench; 5 of circular plug 28 and bear sidewise against the lugs 29 projecting inwardly from the side wall of the recess.

In the case of Fig. 14, the single tang B spans the small circular recess in the top of small circular plug 30, between the side lugs 3|.

The tangs such as B and. B, as well as the C, C and C" tangs, may have more or less tapered or rounded corners to enable them readily to enter the recesses to meet the tangengaging surfaces of the plugs.

The tangs C, C and C" are arranged to handle plugs, say, of the types shown in Figs. 8, 12 and 13.

In Fig. 8 the plug is large and has a hexagonal outer flange and a smooth circular recess in its top surface. Tangs C and C conveniently handle this by spanning the flange as shown, the intermediate tang C" meanwhile projecting into the recess in the top of the plug and therefore not obstructing such use of the outer tangs C and C.

' In Fig. 12, the plug shown has a central projecting lug or boss 32 instead of a recess. This is rectangular or square and therefore may be conveniently spanned outside as shown by tangs C and C".

Fig. 13 shows a plug with a circular recess 33 but without lugsor ribs therein It has, however, a hexagonal outer flange which may be spanned by tangs C and C".

Thusthese three tangs as Well as the others have plug-engaging surfaces around on the sides and edges so that the size of the plugs and the distances apart, the locations and the accessibility of the tang-engaging surfaces on the plugs, determine which tangs are to be used, and how. Of course, the bar l constitutes the handle and lever part for turning the wrench to remove or apply the plugs, and is made strong enough to withstand the required efforts. It is made smooth and the corners may be rounded. This applies to the end portions too. By rounding the corners, it will be easier on the hands. The widening of the ends of the wrench by the tangs on opposite sides of the bar gives a better grip for the hand of the operator at maximum leverage when the turning is diflicult. The spaces between the tangs enable the fingers to engage them for a firmer grip not only for turning the wrench but preventing its tendency to twist or turn in the hand due to the fact that the plane of rotation of the handle is outside the tangs. In this connection it will be noted that the Wrench is of the spanner type in that the turning eifort is exerted ina plane transverse to the plane of the bar and tangs. This wrench, therefore, is made of a comparatively thick, heavy, preferably steel bar with corretang extending transversely spondingly strong and more or less stubby and relatively short tang-s, since, in general, they do not engage the plugs in the plane of rotation of the handle but off at the side thereof and frequently toward their ends only where they are subjected to a twisting and pryin action more severe than in a wrench turning in the plane of its jaws.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have produced a convenient, relatively cheap, and long lasting Wrench of convenient and universal application for the purpose intended in which the tangs, fingers or jaws of the wrench have plug-engaging surfaces related to and cooperating with various tang-engaging surfaces on differently formed plugs.

Having thus described claim and desire to secure A wrench comiprising an my invention, what I by Letters Patent is: elongated arm having a substantially uniform rectangular cross section and an elongated unobstructed straight edge, a pair of tangs extending transversely outwardly from said straight edge adjacent one end thereof, said tangs lying in a straight line and in the plane determined by fiat dimensions of said arm, each of said pair of tangs having a pair of exterior work-engaging surfaces, and a third outwardly from said straight edge in between said two tangs and lying in said plane, the lengths of each of said tangs being equal to each other, said -third tang being spaced unequal distances from each 'of said pair of tangs and having at least three exterior work-engaging surfaces, each work-engaging surface of said third tang cooperating with a different one of the work-engaging surfaces of said two tangs.

GEORGE B. IJMBDENSTOCK,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Austria Oct; 25., 1938 

